Eurostar quietly bans passengers from taking spirits on trains

Mark Smith from the Man in Seat 61 said the rules were 'completely unnecessary'

The Eurostar has come a long way since launching in 1994 (AFP/Getty)

Eurostar has quietly banned passengers from bringing any spirits onboard its trains.

In a change to alcohol allowances, passengers are now limited to just one bottle of wine or four cans of beer each, and no spirits are permitted onboard.

Any surplus alcohol has to be transported separately via Eurostar’s registered luggage service.

“Just to let you know, Eurostar reserves the right to confiscate and destroy any alcohol carried in excess of these limits, without any liability to you,” the train operator says.

It says the rules are to ensure a “safe, happy and healthy” onboard environment.

The rules surrounding the amount of alcohol passengers are permitted to bring onboard changed quietly last autumn.

The new allowances came to light when Mark Smith, rail expert and founder of The Man In Seat 61, tweeted that the rules were “completely unnecessary”.

“Trains should be relaxed and easy-going,” he added.

A Eurostar spokesperson said that the operator wanted to “maintain a pleasant environment onboard for all our travellers”.

In the UK, London North Eastern Railway allows alcohol “in moderation”. In Europe, long-distance operator Thalys allows alcohol in moderate quantities.